When I'm Gone
by Author of Authorness
Summary: [Dead] Kim is becoming disenchanted with hero work. Shego is getting sick of taking orders from an idiot. Both are harboring hidden feelings, and it's all getting worse. Something's gotta give, right? Kigo. They don't have a Dramedy genre tag.
1. Author's Note

A/N: Okay, more than a couple notes before we start; to clear the air _and_ to inform.

First, and foremost, this is currently a_ work in progress_. There will _not_ be regular updates. Life nearly buried this fic, and I've had to make some careful deals with it in order to prevent that.

Second, I _will_ have an Author's note in each chapter. Whether at the beginning or the end, it doesn't matter. It will generally just be random comments on the chapter. I _might_ reply to reviews, if you're nice and leave one. I _might_ preview the chapter title, possibly a teaser. If these things bother you, then feel free to complain. Don't expect much to come if it, though, if you're just being an idiot.

Third, this is going to be _different_. I'm adapting the premise of the original and taking it in a new direction. Hopefully a bit more palatable. I'm removing the song lyrics from the body of the work, but the music itself is still involved. I highly suggest you at least _listen_ to the given songs, whether while reading or some other time. If only to enhance your grasp of the mood.

Fourth, and this is just clarification, I'm going to get rid of the 'Redux' for the title, here. Because I feel like it. I'll leave the other up until I've caught the story up, and then get rid of it entirely. If you have it faved, then you're gonna have to change that.

Fifth, and this is really just a throw-it-in type thing, I like easter-eggs. Little things, sprinkled about, that make fans of various different shows, movies, books, etc. look twice and maybe crack a smile. It might be an obvious thing. It might be tiny and unnoticable. But if you spot it, drop a review so you can keep score. Or berate me for being an idiot. Whatever's good.

And _finally_...while the Kigo is established from the beginning (sort've, I guess), it's going to be handled a _little_ more realistically. By which I mean they're not going to meet up again and instantly be all cutesy. It's not going to trail on for twenty chapters, or anything, so don't go freaking out. They'll just be a little less immediate/dramatic.

First chapter will be coming some time in the next week, if I'm very, very lucky. I'd ask very nicely if my handful of readers out there would drop a review whenever. I won't beg, but knowing you guys like it really helps motivate me/weed out the crap bits.

Thanks, all. ^^


	2. Track 1: When I'm Gone

A/N: And I actually managed to get it done within the week! *So proud* Not much really changed, though it's more in depth, the first chapter is simple set-up. I promise I won't jump perspective like this all the time. As to the section changes and line-spacing...well, I've heard some people complaining about this site, but I haven't actually used it to format chapters for awhile. :D It really is kind've annoying.

And before I forget, Disclaimers: Anything you recognize as belonging to someone else probably does. I own nothing but my imagination.

First track: _When I'm Gone_ - 3 Doors Down.

* * *

It was late in the day when Kim got the call, the familiar tone sending her into 'mission-mode' so quickly it almost made her head spin.

"Go, Wade."

The screen flickered on, and she smiled at the young genius as he appeared. He was focused on another screen, but took the time to return the smile before he got into his work. "Just got a hit on the site." He smirked, leaning back in his chair as he finished whatever it was he had been working on. "It was from Drakken."

She blinked, confused. "Drakken went to the site..."

"And left a message." Wade nodded. "He rants for a bit, but the basic idea is that he's challenging you to 'thwart' him. Since it's obviously a trap, I sent a few just-in-case gadgets. Should be there about the same time as your ride."

Kim smiled again, and nodded. "Thanks Wade. I'll let you know when we've, ah...'thwarted' blue-boy."

"Good luck."

She switched off the Kimmunicator with a sigh, her previous good mood fading just slightly as she went to her closet for her mission clothes.

Drakken again. And with Drakken came Shego…

She bit her lip, shook her head, and banished the thoughts that were clamoring for her attention. Suddenly, she _really_ didn't want to do this.

Oh, it wasn't as if she wanted to let them _go_. She was definitely going to go through with the mission, like always. Stop whatever stupid plot Drakken had cooked up. Even though she knew it was dangerous, even with the mess of confusion that would follow...

She had a responsibility. And nothing could keep her from that.

No matter how much she wished it would.

"And when _Kim Possible_ gets here, she will be trapped by my amazing new invention, and _laser-grated_ _like cheese!_"

Shego rolled her eyes, still sulking against the wall as Drakken rambled on. She honestly wasn't sure what he was thinking, with this one. Setting up an obvious trap like this wasn't going to get them anywhere. Ever.

_'Like Kimmie would ever let some clich__é__ laser grid...'_

She sighed, watching with dull irritation as her employer nearly fried himself making a last minute adjustment on the power feeds.

_'What an idiot...'_

"Come on KP! Ride's here!"

Kim sighed again, pulling the tiny parachute off of her 'care package' from Wade before slinging one strap over her shoulder and letting the pack settle against her back. "Coming!"

Ron was already in the helicopter, leaned down to offer a hand up. He frowned slightly, and passed her a headset. As soon as she had it on, he voiced his concerns. "Hey, what's up? Life still got you down?"

Kim shrugged, adjusting the headset slightly for a better fit. "Guess I'm just a downer lately. It's probably nothing."

Her friend smiled brightly, and nodded, quick to accept her reassurances. "Well, don't worry. Wiping the floor with one of Drakken's lame schemes is sure to cheer you up!"

She just rolled her eyes. Usually, he'd be right. The routine was familiar, comforting. Fun, even. Drakken would rant, Ron would fumble around until he broke something important, the lair would blow up and everyone would go home.

And, in the meantime, she would be fighting Shego. The more dangerous side of the job...dancing around those clawed hands that could tear her apart or turn her into a briquette...depending on the mood of the woman _attached_ to those hands.

With the way that mood could shift, Kim wondered sometimes if she'd leave one day and never come back.

* * *

_Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

"Are you even listening Shego!"

She wasn't, of course. She was actually lost in her thoughts; thoughts that seemed to turn towards a particular topic more and more often as time went by. Her life. And, despite her endless irritation, Kim's…

_'She lives almost as dangerously as I do.' _She mused, looking over her clawed gloves without really seeing them. _'And she doesn't even have the same physical advantages. Gotta admit...that's one hell of an accomplishment...' _

Not that it would last, of course. That was another reason her flights of fancy often got shot down so quickly. Kim Possible, despite her impressive track record and impossibly positive attitude...would not always be there.

* * *

_Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

Kim looked down at sparsely populated area that they were passing over, took a minute to gather her hair back. Something she really should have done before they'd taken off...

_'Jeez, I really need to start focusing...'_

"Hey, by the way, I'm glad I could give you a ride, Miss Possible." The pilot spoke up suddenly, glancing back at them. "I'm hopin' it'll match up to that favor you did me."

Kim smiled weakly, trying to ignore the disconcerting nervousness that prickled at the back of her neck. "No big, Mr. Delorme. It was only a little midair repair work. I'm just glad I had a friend to walk me through it."

"Well, you can thank that genius buddy of yours for me, too."

She nodded, and turned to look out the window again. Her mind wandered to that mission...six months before. It had been simple, if not entirely _easy. _And, yes, she'd had a jet-pack back-pack on the whole time, with one of Wade's micro-chutes on reserve. At the time, she hadn't thought anything of it.

But suddenly it was nagging at her, worst-case scenarios flashing through her mind before she could stop them.

The 'hero' business was...dangerous. And...what if? What if one day the villains got smart, or lucky...or, God forbid, _both_. What if something were to happen to her? What would she leave behind? Sure, a reputation as a wonderful person...but...her family would be torn, and her friends would be hurt. There were bound to be hundreds of people who would feel bad about it, even if only for a moment.

She didn't have an over-inflated sense of self-importance, despite what many people often thought. She knew that people would probably move on. But...that almost made it worse.

Why risk it?

What did she get from it?

Nothing. She helped people, and she wouldn't ever be able to just sit back and not act...but what was the cost?

She shuddered slightly as that thought led her to the ones she'd been trying to avoid…

* * *

_Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

"I'm going to get some fresh air, that's where I'm going! Now leave me the hell alone!" Shego slammed the heavy, steel door behind her, leaving a whining Drakken to stomp petulantly around the empty room.

She'd gotten fed up with his plotting. His ranting. She needed some time to think, somewhere quiet and calm and...thoughtful. And she had to get ready for the fight that was just _bound _to happen. Hell, it was _supposed_ to happen. There was a countdown to when it was going to happen. Kimmie's chopper had been bugged for a _reason_, after all.

The thief-turned-enforcer took a deep breath as she broke into the open air, a rocky platform that served as a landing pad for the hovercraft. The breeze was cool on that side of the small mountain, the time of day and year putting the sun on the opposite side of the mass of stone. The shade it cast over the area made it cool and comfortably dim. The perfect place to think…

Think about this changing.

Why did she even want things to be different? What would be the good? Yea, she could have done something more…productive with her life. But it wouldn't have been nearly as _fun_. She could have continued along the path her education had begun to set, definitely, and she'd been well on her way. But then it would have been nearly impossible to _leave_ that path.

No control. No real freedom. Not with society in the way. All those rules.

In fact, the only perk she could see was the infinitesimal possibility of getting to know Possible. Which really shouldn't have been anywhere near as persuasive an argument as it was.

_Why_ did it have to seem so damn _appealing_?

* * *

_Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

Kim blinked, suddenly drawn from her haze.

She'd had a 'moment of clarity'. One of those 'Eureka' moments that was so often sought after by scientists and the like. Jumbled ideas falling into place with a click and just _making sense. _

It was actually very simple, she realized, and made far more sense than she would have liked. She _wanted _someone. Someone that could keep up. _Really_ keep up, not just trail around behind her, like Ron. As loyal as her best friend was, and as much as she cared for him...he wasn't fit for this sort of thing. Not really. What she needed wasn't a liability...she needed someone to _share_ her adventures with. Someone that could _really_ relate.

She guessed that's why she liked Shego.

Ugh...even _thinking_those words made her feel nauseous.

* * *

_Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

She wasn't sure when the thought had begun to form...only that one day she'd started to think about the green-skinned thief in a less-than-professional way. And it wasn't just friendly familiarity, either. More than once her sleep had been haunted by fights that involved far too much contact, throws that became soft embraces, strikes that caressed and comforted...

Kim pressed her brow to the cool glass, closed her eyes, and tried to focus on nothing.

Shego scratched another vague shape into the stone, kicked her feet out slightly over the empty air. She sat on the edge of the rocky outcropping, still seeking something like enlightenment.

The current issue was obvious. What would she do this time? If the plan _actually_ worked...

"Aww, hell, it'll never work. It's _Drakken_." Shego scoffed at the very idea, tossing a weak plasma ball out into the shade. It fizzled out part way through it's fall, but still splashed dramatically against the ground, a burst of green.

The thought lingered, though, buzzing angrily around in her head…the nagging 'what if'. What if it _did _work? Would she be able to watch, as the young crime fighter was sliced into little pieces by the laser grid the blue dolt had probably ripped off of _Resident Evil_?

The answer was a very insistent 'no'.

But what could she do? If she got caught _helping_ the girl, she would be blackballed in the villain community. Nobody would hire her, and no fence worth the time would go against Hench. Could she really give up her career as a villain, something that took her _years_ to build, for the sake of that...cheerleader?

The answer, to her endless shock, was 'yes'.

That was the part that bugged the hell out of her.

She tilted her head slightly, frowned as she heard the distinctive beat of helicopter blades chopping the air. It echoed distinctly off the rocks, and she stood carefully.

After only a moment's consideration, Shego spun and sprinted back inside. Whether the girl could handle this scheme or not, she had to be ready…

* * *

_Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

"So, Shego. Still slumming it with Drakken?" Kim bit out. "Figured you'd be _tired_ of his plans blowing up in your face."

"What can I say? The pay is good." Shego gave a smug smirk, her hands alight and spread wide in invitation. "What about that buffoon of yours? I think he's actually getting _worse_ at this."

Kim growled, leading with her right elbow as she lunged forward. Shego slipped aside and deflected the attack with apparent ease. "Oh-ho, did I strike a nerve?"

"No." The teen hero turned into a kick, but dropped her leg before it connected to spring into a strike that left a surprisingly sharp pain in Shego's side. "But I just did."

"Why you..."

They fought, falling into an easy back-and-forth. It wasn't long, though, before the inevitable occurred...

"Gah! Kp! The thing is glowing!"

Both Kim and Shego stopped where they were, turning in almost perfect synch. Drakken's newest death device was, indeed, glowing. A bright violet light that was nearly painful to see.

"Time to go?" Shego muttered, glancing in the general direction of the exit.

"Seems that way." Her opponent just scowled, watching the device spark and fizzle.

"Next time, Princess...you won't get off so easy." The thief shoved Kim aside, turning to bolt for the door . Doctor Drakken had already fled outside, to the hovercraft. They were gone in seconds.

Ron rushed over to help Kim up, and the pair rushed out, stopping to grabbed the jet-packs that they had stashed.

They shot away, just as the lair exploded.

* * *

_Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

Kim sat on her bed, staring at the floor. Lost in thought. _Again_.

Another mission. Another exploding lair, barely escaped in time...all of it...for what?

A pat on the back, a 'congratulations' and the honor of coming back home.

What was the point? What had she changed? Drakken's device had destroyed itself. Even if she hadn't been there, he would have turned the thing on and the result would have been the same.

_'I wish…'_

* * *

___Track 1: When I'm Gone_

* * *

Shego stood on the balcony of one of her _many_ safe-houses, staring up at the stars overhead. Drakken had gone to a backup lair to revisit his old friend, Mister Drawing Board, and after today's failure she knew to expect a few days of paid vacation.

Unless, of course, he had _another_ of those 'pre-prepared' schemes...in which case she would need to steal whatever random things he deemed necessary…probably end up drawing even more attention to herself...

"Jeez…" She turned, leaning against the railing with a sigh. Why was she even thinking about it all? Why worry over it? It didn't matter, after all. She didn't need to wonder. She just needed to wait for her…

Orders…

God, she wasn't free anymore…not like she had been…

_'I wish…'_

* * *

_'...that things...'_

_'...could be different...'_


	3. Track 2: It's Not Over

A/N: A short chapter? After so long? Say it ain't so!

I'm not dead yet, so that's a bonus. Hopefully I'll get more done in the next couple of weeks, thanks to an...unforeseen surplus of free-time.

I'd like to ask about the 'scene break' bits, listing the track. Annoying? Bearable? Drop a review and let me know! I'll probably even respond in this nifty new format that I've seen in a couple different places now! Just like...

* * *

**IdrewAcow**: Gosh, this is great. The thought is great and understandable, making it easy to relate to the characters and their actions.

I can't wait for more ^^

Take your time with the updates; if all the chapters end up as great as this one, then I'd wait for months.

_I certainly hope this is as good as the last chapter, given that you've now waited for months._

**LolaLuv**: i was left speechless lz continue

_I didn't mean to steal your voice! Here, take it back! I'll even continue and everything!_

* * *

...that.

Second Track: _It's Not Over_ - Daughtry

* * *

"Sheeeegoooo..."

Green plasma flickered briefly around her hands, as the whining tone cut through her _supposedly noise-canceling_ headphones. They had been a recent investment...and apparently a useless one. Still, she attempted to ignore her 'boss', even when he stepped around the couch and into her field of view.

"Shego! Can you hear me!"

He wasn't going to drop it, then...Shego sighed, folding down the page of her magazine with deliberate care, finding no small amusement in the way Drakken's expression darkened a little more with each passing second. Once she'd set aside the magazine, she began to remove her headphones, snapping them away in their plastic case, every motion slow and deliberate.

"Are you quite finished?" Drakken huffed, crossing his arms irritably. "I need you to steal something for me."

"Go figure." Shego smirked, slipping off the couch and onto her feet in a single, smooth motion. "Gimme the info, Doc. I'll get the job done." _'Just like I __**always**__ do, in case you'd forgotten'_

"Hmph...well, it should be simple. I'm sure you'll be able to manage without even alerting Kim _Possible_ to the plan." He reached into his lab-coat to retrieve a small scrap of paper, passing it over. "I've written down the name of the component, along with its basic dimensions and probable location."

The thief stared at the paper for a moment before she took it, honestly shocked at the...foresight...it showed. "Doesn't look too hard." It was small enough she wouldn't need anything 'extra' to handle it. "What's it for?"

"It will complete my metallic-optimization ray!" Drakken grinned, wringing his hands in what was probably meant to be maniacal glee. "With it, I shall be able to alter even low-quality steel to create Drakkenite!"

_'Oy, I'm prolly gonna hate myself for this...' _"And just _what_ is Drakkenite, exactly?"

"Quite simply, it is a _nearly indestructible material!_" He cackled dramatically. "My device will alter metal on a _subatomic level_ to increase its strength and durability to a level _impossible_ through standard forging processes!"

Shego frowned. "You're not making robots again, are you?"

His wide grin became a petulant frown, and he crossed his arms again. "Of course not! I don't have the proper resources for robots."

She snorted, folding up the already-crumpled paper. "Then what're you doing with the metal? Gonna armor the henchmen or something? Sell it to building companies at ridiculous prices? What?"

"Hmph...as good as those ideas are," Shego rolled her eyes, "They wouldn't work at _all._ Firstly, Drakkenite is simply too heavy to make effective body armor, and selling it on the open market would be _far_ too helpful to people who aren't me." Drakken sniffed imperiously, then grinned again. "No...I'm going to use it to make...a _trap!_"

Shego blinked, sighed, and shook her head. "Joy..."

* * *

Track 2: It's Not Over

* * *

It was an easy job. Small part, out of a cluttered lab? She was almost certain a henchman could have done it...though he probably would have been caught on at least one camera, and _definitely_ would have destroyed the locks rather than bypassing them so very cleanly...

Still, it was done, however boring it had been. She was looking forward to a quickly foiled plot so she could just get on with something interesting again.

"Hey, Doctor D." She called out easily, pushing his lab door aside as she drifted in. "Got your gizmo."

"Ah, Shego! Finally!" Drakken pulled his welding-mask up, turning away from the glowing red of a large, cylindrical casing. "You have the part, wonderful...just set it over there, and I'll get to it soon."

The thief shrugged, padding over to one of the wide work-tables. She cleared some space, pushing aside spare wires and bits of scrap metal so the new part would stand out easily. "That all you need me for, Doc?"

"I'll need your help fabricating the trap later." He turned his attention back to his work. "My arc-welder is broken again...confounded thing..."

Shego leaned over just far enough to catch sight of the acetylene tank he was using, and sighed. She hated playing 'Wendy the Welder', but it really wasn't that big a deal. And it would give her another mind-numbing task to kill time with.

"Sure thing, Doc. Just gimme a call."

He muttered something vague in response, and she turned to leave as he pulled down his mask again. The sound of the welding-torch was muffled by the heavy lab door...and she was left in the relative quiet of the lair.

"Right then..." She tapped her foot thoughtfully. "What to do..."

No answer, of course, and she shook her head before turning down the hallway. There was _one_ spot that she knew for certain she wouldn't be bothered.

The gym.

It was a big place, definitely, and had plenty of equipment, space to spare. Everything a decent gym needed. And all of it would be practically unused if it weren't for her. The henchmen didn't seem to think the extra work was worth the payoff, considering who they fought.

Not that Shego really cared. After all, it just meant she had her own 'space' in the lair. Somewhere where even _Drakken_ seemed to understand to leave her alone.

She started with stretching, and winced a few times as she found some resistance that she didn't remember. With a few choice words about Drakken's plotting and a silent promise to put a little more focus on proper exercise, she continued on.

A practice of forms, in a number of disciplines, always came first. The careful, step-by-step nature helped clear her head, bringing everything into sharper focus. It was good. Comforting, in its way.

Slowly, she slipped from the carefully choreographed motions and into something more...fluid. Fighting shadows, opponents that existed only as long as she wanted them to. And they fell before her, easily. Too easily.

After several minutes, she whirled to face her next opponent.

She flipped, ducked, throwing kicks and punches and sweeping strikes that streamed plasma in their wake. But her opponent was always just out of reach.

The counterattack came without warning, and she turned out of the way. Ducked a high kick before surging up. She smirked, and dropped back.

But a moment later, she was frowning. Because her opponent had started to look far too familiar in her mind's eye.

"Okay...moving on." She shook her head, straightening up and taking the time to stretch out her back and shoulders.

Weights. Those were nice and safe. Starting light, eighty pound bench, three sets. She counted them off in her head, twenty, fifteen, twenty. That got the blood pumping, a nice, deep burn. Next, leg curls, one-hundred pounds, three reps...

It was easy to let the rest of it go by on autopilot. The routine was really just habit, upkeep more than anything else. Natural advantages, along with almost day-to-day practical experience...well, there wasn't much room for improvement.

_'And the cheerleader still beats you on a regular basis.' _

She frowned, letting the free-weight drop to the floor with a clang. "Tch..."

Almost five minutes passed, where she just...stood, and stared at the floor.

She moved back to the bench, and started adding weight.

* * *

Track 2: It's Not Over

* * *

Shego scowled as a she slumped back into the cushioned seat so _graciously_ provided by Drakken, the ache in her back and shoulders receding slightly as she managed to relax. The blue idiot had been getting better about the little things, when it came to his lairs. Maybe he was actually _learning_...

"...will completely obliterate you! Down to your very _atoms_!" The crazed scientist cackled, wringing his hands as he looked down into the chamber below. "As soon as it _warms up_!"

"Man, what is it with you and death-rays? I mean, how hard can it be to make one that just...y'know...fires?"

His mad grin twisting into a scowl, and he crossed his arms defensively. "I happen to _like_ transistor tubes!"

"Verrry retro."

"Nobody asked you...erm..." He trailed off, at a loss, and finally just settled for stomping back to his control panel. "_Sidekick_!"

"Aww, man! How hard is 'Stoppable'! Really? It's not exactly common, you know!"

"Silence! I'm just about to be _Brilliant_!"

"Ron, a little focus, please?"

"Oh, right, deathtrap..."

Shego rolled her eyes, letting her head flop back over the backrest. One of the security displays was in a perfect position, and she hardly had to tilt her head to get a great view of the latest 'genius' trap.

It really wasn't half bad, as far as things went. One bare, open bowl, no corners to hide in, no walls to climb. Off to one side was the sidekick (and, more importantly, his _rodent_), secured flat against the Drakkenite surface. In the very center, away from anything that could be useful, Kim Possible was held with ridiculously over-proportioned shackles made of the same uber-metal.

She didn't look particularly enthused about it all.

Maybe it was just the whole 'kidnapping the best friend' thing that had drawn her in. It wasn't exactly a high-point in her career, but Shego couldn't fault the logic of it.

Actually, now that she really thought about it, it wasn't the kidnapping that bothered her. It was the fact that logic was apparently in Drakken's corner...

Oh, but seeing the cheerleader put in her place was definitely a plus. Maybe a close call or two would drive a little common sense into her. Make her think before involving friends and family in her messes...

Ugh.

"How long is this thing supposed to take, anyway?" She gestured vaguely at the screen, ignoring the way her shoulder protested. "I've got things to do."

"Any minute now!" Drakken didn't even glance away from the control panels, immersed in whatever last minute...whatevers he had to take care of. "Erm...maybe five!"

Tch...

She settled back to watch...with a growing sense of unease. Where was the escape, already? The laser lipstick thing, or that annoying little super-phone with its...spy plane mode. Something. Possible was normally out and foiling by three minutes. Ten was just...

Ten.

Logic, and Drakken.

Shego gave a quiet groan, slapping one hand over her eyes. The kid was actually _stuck_. A trap of Drakken's that was actually _working_...

The all-over ache faded into the background as she mulled that over. If the _trap_ actually worked...well, previous experience with Drakken's messes aside, the death-ray might work too. And if the death-ray was working as advertised, then Possible...wouldn't be making it out.

_'Dammit.' _

What happened to 'She can do anything', exactly? Stupid...

_'One question to answer, then.' _

Even if that question was pretty much a formality at this point. She scanned the panels in front of her, keeping half an eye on Drakken to make sure he was still 'focused'. All it would take was a glance, and she'd be completely scre-

Ah-freakin'-ha. The blue dolt had actually put in a 'release' switch.

_'Never change, Doc. I might actually have to ask for a raise, then.' _She watched him from the corner over her eye, stretching one leg out with the greatest care...until her heel was hovering just over the button.

She hesitated.

It would be so easy to just...let it happen. No more annoying cheerleader butting in every week. Nothing to stop Drakken from actually going through with one of his crazy schemes. Hell, she might actually get Iceland.

All at the expense...of her.

Another slight pause, thoughts clouded and muscles screaming.

In the chamber below, the massive shackles holding Kim in place fell apart with a clatter. After a half-second's disbelief, she bounded into action.

Ron was freed, the door lasered open. And, in the time it took for Drakken to pull away from his work, Hero and Sidekick had escaped properly.

He scrambled for the security feeds, searching frantically until he caught sight of them...slipping out of the generator room. Seconds later, the familiar self-destruct alarms.

"Grah! Shego! We need to leave!"

She rolled out of the chair, heaving a put-upon sigh. "Yea, didn't see this one coming..."

"You don't need to be lippy!"

Shego smirked, following her employer on the way to the hanger. _'This isn't over, Princess.' _

_ 'Not by a long shot.' _


	4. Track 3: Over and Over

A/N: Another short chapter, but I'm starting to think that I'm not going to drag them out. It'll make regular updates more likely and hopefully keep the story alive yea?

Reviews!

* * *

**Honulicious**: hmm shego really pressed the release button huh? no kim's pov? i guess that's next chapter. both kim and shego are really bored

_Shhh...don't tell Drakken. XD Here's a Kim chapter for ya, though!_

**Anttolas**: well i will say i am really enjoying your story so far and i really want to read more, so i will be waiting for the next chapter, see ya then

_I'm glad you like it! The whole point of this sort of thing is for other people to enjoy it, and I like to think that I'm at least partially successful in that!_

**yojimbo89**: Wow just wow the way you write your story is great I've watched Kim Possible and this was like reading an episode.

_I'm glad I'm doing the original material justice. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up that sort of quality._

* * *

Third Track: _Over and Over_ - Three Days Grace

* * *

Kim Possible. Cheerleader, honor student, teen hero, and all around Good Role Model.

At the moment, she felt anything but.

She kicked at a loose stone, watching indifferently as it skittered across the gleaming-white of the cement pathway. The path was clean, and smooth, the grass on either side perfectly trimmed and cropped as the man-made stone wound through the whole park, crossing over itself and looping in simple patterns, highlighting the best parts of the landscape...

A beautiful, gleaming, _clear_ path.

_'Why can't life be like that? Just once and awhile?' _

She sighed, running a hand through her hair...running both hands through her hair...shaking her head wildly so that she had to comb it all back several times before she could see again...

A late night jogger smirked at her as he passed.

Her face burned almost as red as her hair, and she pressed her hands over her eyes. "Greaa-haaate..."

Just another stellar example of the...whatever...that had been screwing everything up for _weeks_.

_'Whatever? Please. You're being obtuse.' _

_ 'It's 'I'm being obtuse'. I'm referring to myself.' _

Sometimes she wondered if Ron's goofiness was contagious or something. It wouldn't surprise her in the least.

Heck, maybe it'd be a good thing. Something to...distract her. To help avoid and...ignore.

It wasn't bragging to say that she was a genius...or near genius, depending on whether you subscribed to Ericsson's preference for assessment of an individual's creativity in psychometric terms or Terman and Hollingworth's IQ range for your definition of the label...

Ugh.

Case and point. As much as she loved the adrenaline and focus of her missions, physical activity was a...distraction. One that she embraced whole-heartedly. When she was falling a terminal velocity, when she was hanging onto a sheer cliff face with a bare hand...when she was dodging plasma-backed punches and bone-breaking kicks...there was no room for thought.

But the second things slowed down, the world came rushing in at full force. Schoolwork for the next day, volunteering time-tables, new cheerleading routines, college plans, job openings that didn't conflict with any of the above, missions...and all of the little details involved in all of it.

It was tough, trying to sort through it all. To keep on top of everything. She'd gotten better, over the years, as she'd learned how to counteract the thought through the _action._ Keeping track of what she'd already done and what she'd only planned. Cutting down on the extras so she didn't burn out, but still keeping enough going at once that she didn't have time to dwell.

Still, sometimes it just seemed..._messy_.

And lately, more and more often, she found herself with free time. Time when she really didn't have anything much to do. And it was during those times that her thoughts began circling a number of very _uncomfortable_ subjects...

Kim paused, blinking in the bright, electric light that shone down from above. She'd wandered off her usual route. Somehow, instead of the jogging path, she'd made it all the way to the old playground.

It was...simple, really. A couple of slides, a jungle gym, monkey-bars, see-saws...and the swings. She eyed those with more than a hint of nostalgia, remembering a time when she wore pigtails and braces, and freaked her parents out by doing somersaults out of them. The thought brought a smile to her face...and it felt so _good_ to smile.

Her mom wouldn't mind if she was a little late. And...well, her dad would probably be as overprotective and worried as ever, but it'd be easy enough to calm him down again once everything was said and done.

For now...that squeaky swing-set was just begging to be used.

_'Smaller than I remembered.' _She couldn't help but grin at that utterly inane thought, as she gave a gentle kick backwards. The chains creaked nicely, and drew her further into memory. A time when when she'd just _known_ that moving so fast and jumping off just right would set her down safely in the sandbox behind the swing-set. When she'd _known_ that a twist here, or a turn there, would flip her stomach and send her heart racing.

A time before real life and grown-up things had crept in.

_'Better days.' _

No muss, no fuss, no missions. No crazy scientists with robots and death rays. No...

_'Nope. Nope nope. Not going to start that again.' _

Too often, lately, her mind had wandered to _her_. Too often she'd had to shake herself out of daydreams that were, quite frankly, a little worrying.

_ 'Focus...something else, anything else...definitions! Physics.' _She closed her eyes, going back to schoolwork._ 'A charge carrier is a mobile particle carrying an electric charge, especially those carrying an electric current. Charge carriers include electrons, ions, and holes. Charge carriers are found everywhere, including transistors, integrated circuits, vacuum tubes, and pla-' _

She groaned, dragging her heels into the sand to slow the swing again. Of course. Something else then...

_'Two cannons, one aimed forty-five degrees from horizontal, the other at sixty degrees from horizontal, are fired simultaneously toward each other. First step: In order for the two projectiles to collide, at some point in time the 'y' components of position must be identical. Since they were launched simultaneously, the 'y' components of their initial velocities must also be equal...' _

_ 'As if. I always wind up moving first...' _

She blinked, twice, and slumped against one of the chains. "Nope. Nu-uh. Simplify. Two, three, five, seven, eleven, thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty-three, twenty-nine..."

_'Shego turns twenty-nine some time between August twelfth and September twenty-fourth...' _

Kim snorted, then laughed, though she quieted down quickly as she remembered just where she was. And then she had to stifle another giggling fit as the situation really sunk in. What would people think! The great Kim Possible, hanging out on a kiddie playground after dark, laughing at herself...

"Heh...it's official. I'm _losing_ my mind. Ron kept telling me it was going to happen some day, but did I listen? No! Of course not! Because he was coming down off a rant about zombies and which celebrities would survive!"

She managed a fond smile, but it gave way quickly to a frustrated huff. She kicked fitfully against the ground to rock her seat to the side. "And now I'm talking to myself, because apparently that's what insane people do. Maybe I should just go home and have mom call Dr. Samson so he can suggest I be institutionalized. I'm sure everyone would have a good laugh about that."

A brief moment, and she fell silent again. Lost in thought.

_'Who'm I kidding?' _A deep breath in, then out, and she closed her eyes. _'Nobody, that's who. I'm avoiding. Because that's a perfectly natural and understandable reaction. Totally. I'm completely justified in that.' _

It was a mess. And it was going to make a mess, any way it ended up going. There wasn't anything that would make it anything less than an utter..._mess_.

Heroes weren't supposed to falter. Or worry. They were supposed to know what to do, and stand up for what was right.

A hero doesn't sympathize with a nemesis.

Shego...

Kim stood, hooking her thumbs in her pockets and scuffing her heel in the grass as she padded back toward the sidewalk. It was getting late. And the park had offered no escape from her problems. Not that she'd actually expected it to help...but it had been nice to hope.

It was near the very edge of the park that she spotted trouble. They were off-balance, staggering. Laughing too loudly. And she felt a rare, bubbling anger, at how...disgusting these people could be. This was such a nice town, and these idiots...

Oh, and trouble had spotted her, too. Judging by the way they were shoving each other forward and moving with whatever passed for purpose toward her...

"Heya girlie." One of them slurred, grinning as he stumbled ahead of his friends. "Howsabout ya walk with us for a bit, huh?"

Kim blinked, once...and the world fell away.

Mission mode.

Six men. Inebriated, unarmed, and unprepared. Four were athletes, one with either bad luck or fighting experience, judging by the crooked nose.

A groping hand came up, and she swatted it away without hesitation.

Prioritize. Mr. Grabby.

A two-fingered strike to his throat drew him up short. No motion wasted, she followed up with a twist of her wrist that planted her palm over his ear. One sharp push, and he was sent tumbling to the side.

The rest were staring like idiots. Crooked-nose guy broke out of his stupor first, expression screwing up into a scowl as he rushed her.

She'd been wrong about the fighting experience. He'd probably just eaten more pavement than Ron during his 'skater' phase. She threw a straight punch, slow enough for him to flinch away, and used her new momentum and positioning to drive an elbow into his jaw. A simple sidestep...and she drew back her extended arm, slamming the back of his head with that same elbow.

It hurt, but the adrenaline was flowing. And she felt _good_.

The remaining four _idiots _decided to rush her all at once. She juggled them like it was nothing, and dropped them before any one of them could tell what was happening.

And she stood there, for several minutes, as she caught her breath and rode that rush. The guys were all groaning and either unconscious or getting there.

...civilians.

This was _not_ how a hero behaved.

Kim took off at a jog.

_'I just need to get home...' _


End file.
